The Better Days of Life were Ours
by Angiskia
Summary: Titles of nobility meant nothing in the wizarding world, unless you were Samuel Potter that is. But all his titles were self-imposed, and Helen Lyon would have none if it. A daughter of a Baron, she knew what real royalty looked like, and Samuel Potter was anything but. She was here to learn and even make history - but according to Samuel, she'd need his help.
1. Victorian Magic

It was a torrential downpour outside, as it usually was in England. Helen watched as each drop rolled down the window. She had been there for what felt like hours, her elbow starting to sore from resting it upon the window pane for such an extended period of time. Her family had gone into the city and she was stuck at the estate per usual. Helen could already imagine Sarah's voice as her older sister spoke of London in awe. The lady's in their beautiful dresses, the handsome men bowing to her, and then how it all contrasted with the smoke puffing out from the countless factories. It had been ages since Helen had gone, but she understood why.

As daughters of a Baron, a Lord if you will, they were expected to act in a certain manner. Her father had always said that he was gifted with the best children in the world. Victor was well on his way to knowing all the ins and outs concerning the details of Lordship. Warren had started working under a prominent lawyer in the city, one who was rumored to counsel the Royal Family in fact. Sarah was going to be a wonderful catch for a noble man, and Helen had even overheard her mother speaking about arrangements with a son of a Earl. That'd be quite a jump, but Sarah was wonderful, and Helen had no doubt her sister could woo any man she pleased.

And then came Helen. She had always been a bright child, and her parents couldn't ask for a more well behaved one either. In fact, her parents were prone to talk incessantly about every little achievement their accomplished. One day, though, it all changed for Helen. Her parents love for her never wavered, but fear was an emotion that had seeped in as well. It was all because of what she had done at the dining room table one day when she had been seven years young. Her anger had gotten the best of her, with Warren and Sarah teasing her a bit more than usual. It was then, that all the dishes began levitating in the air. They lingered there for a few seconds, only to come crashing down in one big blow.

Helen could still remember the utter silence that had fallen over the room when that happened. At the time, Helen hadn't even realized she had been the cause of the disruption. Her parents knew, for some reason, they knew. And although she maintained the behavior of a proper lady, her parents, her father particularly, didn't want to risk something happening in public. And suddenly, Helen Lyon became a name that was only rarely mentioned. She didn't blame her father, he had an image to maintain. That didn't mean she didn't pine for the balls and dinners she had always dreamed of attending.

Fate had planned something different for. She had just turned eleven, and only a few weeks later after her quaint celebration, an unknown carriage had pulled up to the front of their estate. And for what was surely a first, the guest had come for her. A man dressed in incredibly strange garb came with a letter and a very long explanation. It had ended up being a very long day for the entirely of the Lyon family, but it all ended with one single conclusion: Helen was a witch. It had taken Helen weeks to fully grasp what it meant. And when she did, it finally hit the young lady that she'd be leaving her family...to attend some school called Hogwarts.

It was a strange concept, but Helen knew it'd be best for everyone. Her parents wouldn't have to worry about any embarrassment and Helen would get to finally be free. Besides, she was a naturally curious person, and this whole concept of magic highly intrigued her. And just as she thought that, her eyes caught sight of the horses pulling in through the gate. Jumping up from her seat in excitement, Helen ran to the door to meet her family. She waited patiently, hovering by the doorway, opening the large oak doors at the very last minute. Her sister walked hurriedly across the gravel in an effort to avoid the rain. Sarah met Helen with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. They immediately started to chatter about everything Sarah had seen. It only ceased when their mother came a few moments later, partially dry thanks to the cover of her cloth umbrella.

"Good Afternoon, Mother," Helen said sweetly. She received a wide smile. "How was the city?"

Placing the umbrella in the corner of the hallway, her mother turned and said, "It was lovely. Of course, the rain made it a rather inconvenient visit but pleasant nonetheless." Helen looked to her mother expectantly, excited to gather as much information as possible. She knew Sarah would give her all the latest gossip later tonight. Her mother would give her the more important things a lady was expected to know this in day in age. But Grace, her mother that is, simply looked to her with a shimmer in her eyes, "It was wonderful, Helen. And tomorrow is your opportunity to see it." Grace wanted nothing more than for her youngest daughter to be free in the world, and tomorrow would be the start of that experience.

* * *

><p>They followed the man in the odd garb through an awful establishment called the Leaky Cauldron. Her father had a near heart attack entering the building, but according to the man, the muggles (non-magical people) couldn't see it. The only reason Grace and Richard could see it was because its existence had been explained to them, they couldn't have 'young wizards and witches exploring this new world by themselves' as the man so plainly put it.<p>

The man's name was Harland Coventry, and he carried him with such a presence that as they navigated through the crowd of drunks, Helen couldn't help but ask, "Were your parents..muggles? Are you the same as me?" Her mother gave her a stare, as if the question might be rude, but Mr. Coventry took it well.

"They were indeed. In fact, Lord Lyon, I believe you know a Lord George William Coventry." Helen had never seen her father more surprised. Richard stared at the man dumbfounded. Speechless in fact.

It was Grace who spoke up for her husband. Although unusual, the woman felt that these times were far from usual. "You're related to the Earl of Coventry?"

Harland nodded, "That would be my father." It was Grace's turn to be stunned. She was obviously expecting it to be some distant relation, nothing so immediate that's for sure.

Helen seemed to be the only one not befuddled by this information. It was Harland's attractiveness that had Helen speechless at times. He said he was a student volunteer for the school, showing new students around. All that Helen knew was that in another world she would've loved the prospect of a marriage to such a titled, attractive man. She wasn't in another world though, so she simply replied, "I think that's wonderful." Harland looked at her with an odd expression, so she explained, "To know that there really are other people like me. That i'm not some freak." That earned her a smile. Helen made a note to say more things that got him to smile.

Once outside of the Leaky Cauldron, the Lyons and Harland were faced with a brick wall. Helen's parents wore looks of confusion, but Helen knew there had to be something more. Her mind reeled with possibilities. There was to be nothing of mechanics in this new world, so she presumed that the wall was meant to disappear. Perhaps it was even an illusion. Reaching forward, her hand rested against the cold brick. Nothing. Now a tad confused, she looked over her shoulder to Harland who simply wore a amiable smile. "Step back," he said kindly.

Doing just that, Helen watched intently. He first pulled out a stick of wood from his robes...a wand. It happened so quickly. A few taps along the wall, and suddenly the bricks were folding inwards. And on the other side was… was… magic.

There was single street bustling with men and women, all dressed clothing similar to that Harland. Rustic buildings lined the street, selling goods of all sorts. Helen's eyes darted everything, unable to stay on one place for long. Looking towards her parents, her father was still taking in the whole sight, but her mother was looking right at her. There was a soft smile on Grace's lips, and all Helen could do was smile back.

Her attention shifted to Harland once more who had began speaking. "I recommend getting your wand at Ollivander's, as it's an essential part of being a witch. Then I would move on to buying your school supplies, robes in included. And lastly, if you so desire, a pet to keep you company. Owls are particularly useful in communicating with those back home." The words flowed from his mouth easily, as if it was everyday jargon. Then Helen remembered that it was.

"How are we expected to pay for all of this? Does your sort take the pound?" This was her father talking. The talk was blunt, but Helen couldn't blame he, not really.

Harland made a soft exclamation, as if he had forgotten something. "The money I asked for when we first met, I had it changed into our currency." Reaching into his coat pocket, he handed a bag filled with coins. "Galleons are gold, sickles silver, and knuts are bronze." Harland went on to explain the equivalence between the coins. Helen listened carefully, after all, this is what she'd be using more often than not. When Harland finally finished talking, there was silence amongst them, as they stood in the middle of the loud crime.

So, taking this opportunity to pipe up she asked, "Can I go get my wand now then?"

There were faint smiles on all their faces, some more real than others. And with that, Harland led her to Ollivander's. Her parents had drifted off to look at some of the more fascinating vendors. That's when Helen knew things had really shifted - her parents would've never left her alone with some boy she barely knew.

Walking up to the storefront, Helen gawked at the date written on the sign. "382 B.C. They can't be serious, can they?" Harland simply shrugged at her. He proceeded to open the door and gestured towards the entrance. Walking in, she stared around the dusty store. There were boxes upon boxes stacked on one another. And they were all wands.

"Oh Good Afternoon darling. I presume you're looking for me." A middle aged man, with crazy black hair popped his head from around a door frame. At a loss for words, Helen simply nodded her head. It was at around that time that Helen realized Harland had not followed her inside. "Well, Gerbold Octavious Ollivander at your service. Now let's see if we can find you a wand." Walking towards a row of wands, he ran his hand along the boxes. "What's your name then?"

Finally finding her voice she responded, "Helen Lyon, Mister."

"Oh please, call me Ollivander - " His speech was interrupted by a sudden exclamation. He reached for a box and walked over towards Helen with intent. "Here we go, try this on for size." He carefully handed her a piece of wood, "10 and a ¼ inch, ash wood with a dragon heartstring core."

Taking the wand, she asked curiously, "Did you saying dragon heartstring?"

"Oh yes, only the best for our customers. Try it out now. Just give it a wave."

Helen did that just that, and she dropped it the moment she did. "Your papers, they're on fire! I'm terribly sorry!" The man seemed completely complacent about the event, and simply waved out the flames with his own wand. Without another word, he went on searching for another prospect. Helen wasn't sure how many tries it took to get it right, and she wondered if there had perhaps been a fluke in the system. Maybe she wasn't a witch. But then logic beat up her upside the head and reminded the young girl that there had to be thousands of wand in this shop, she couldn't possibly expect to get it right on the first try.

It usually wasn't proper for a lady to speak as often as she was doing today, particularly in public, but Helen felt as if those rules had flown right out the window. She certainly felt odd walking across the street, lifting her dress with one hand daintily, while all the other girls rushed past her in a hurry. So with that in mind she asked, "I'm fairly new to this all, but can you tell me, what else can you use as a wand's...core, I believe you said?"

She saw Ollivander pop his head back from a rack to give her a smile before continuing with his search. "Well, many creatures can provide the magic necessary for a wand to work properly, but my father, and his father before that, believe that only three did the job, and did the job well. Unicorn hair, phoenix feather, and dragon heartstring is where the magic's at."

Helen nodded eagerly at this new information. She wasn't as so much interested in the fact that unicorns did exist, but rather that wands required such detail and commitment. "And the woods, tell me about them, Mister. I find it hard to believe you'd be able to use any old tree."

"You'd be correct, Ms. Lyon. Some trees have magical properties that lend themselves to being excellent wand ones. Those that have bowtr - " The man cut himself off once more as he came walking over with another bow. "Unicorn hair core, chestnut wood, and a wonderful length of 9 and ¾."

Helen took this wand hesitantly, afraid that more papers might burst into flames. Instead, this time when she waved it around, absolutely nothing happen. She looked to Ollivander who simply made a tsking noise. Returning the wand to his possession, Helen stayed quiet this time around. Her words were probably distracting him from finding the one for her. It appeared that the silence caught Ollivander's attention. "You need not worry, Ms. Lyon. It is well known that the wand chooses the wizard, and you wouldn't want a wand unless it was the perfect fit." It seemed as those words were perhaps the magic ones, because he came over confidently with another dusty, rectangular box. "Unicorn hair, 9 and ½, and beech wood. If this is the one, I'll have you know that beech wood is magnificent, and it only works for those truly worthy of its magic."

This led Helen to be slightly worried, like she'd be letting her and her parents down if it wasn't this. But the moment the wand was securely in her grip, a warm sensation passed through her body and before she knew it a slow wind was passing through the store. To end the show, feathers began to appear from the tip of the wand, flying high, then slowly floating to the ground. Ollivander had a wide smile on his face. "I had a sneaking suspicion…"

Looking up with glee, Helen couldn't help herself, and asked curiously, "What's so special about beech wood?" It seemed as those Ollivander look excited to explain such things, but a tapping on the window caught both their attentions. It was Harland, and he held a pocket watch to the window with an apologetic look. "Oh, I'm afraid we have to go, though I'd love to hear more." Reaching into her pockets, she grabbed some galleons and sickles at handed it to Ollivander. He nodded graciously, and she left the store with a smile still on her face.

Reaching outside, she didn't get the chance to tell Harland about how amazing that whole experience was because he went straight to business. "You still need to get your books, other supplies, and of course your robes. You can't get sorted without your robes." And with that, the day continued. It was filled with countless questions and answers, but also some light conversation. All in all, Helen was just happy to be out in the world again.

* * *

><p>The Hogwarts Express was a magnificent sight. Helen, in fact, had no other words for it. She wasn't sure how she'd explain such a thing to Sarah. It was only her mother standing on the platform with her, there to give goodbyes from the whole family. Father had some important business to attend, Victor and Warren couldn't afford the time, and Sarah was travelling to have dinner with the Earl of Essex's family.<p>

Looking up at her mother, the two shared a smile before exchanging short kisses on the cheek. Helen wanted to embrace her mother, but such a thing would not be proper. They were both still dressed in elegant dresses, common to those who were part of families that held titles. And although Helen had started to grasp that things weren't the same in the wizarding world, her mother would never be one to ignore the rules of society, no matter the circumstance.

"I love you, Mother."

"And I you, dear. Don't worry, you'll be home for the holidays. We'll see each other in no time." She paused for a moment, distracted by some commotion of to her left, but then continued her words, "Be sure to write, we didn't buy you that owl for no reason. We want to hear from you." Her face got solemn for a moment. " I want you to know, Helen, that none of this changes how we look at you. You will always be our daughter, and we will always love you. I am so happy that you get to go and learn about these abilities you have, to control them in fact."

elen turned her head sideways slightly. She knew her mother had more to say, and it intrigued her. "If you are able to control it, we won't have to worry any longer. We'll be able to announce you to society, and it'll be on time too. You're still young. Your father wouldn't even begin looking for marriage prospects for another three years." Helen nodded and put on a smile to please her mother. To be honest, Helen hadn't thought about fully returning to muggle society. She imagined she'd be better fit in the wizarding world, where she wouldn't have to hide. But she was only eleven, and her mother knew far more than she did. And like Grace said, she was young. There was plenty of time.

Exchanging one last goodbye, Helen boarded the Hogwarts Express, looking over her shoulder to see her mother one last time. The steam engine was packed with students trying to find seats. She had to walk fairly far back before she finally found an empty one. Pulling the door aside, she sat down on the seat and stared out the window. There was large crowd, and Helen doubted that she'd see her mother again today.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door moving. Turning her head, a young man, probably the same age as she, stood at the entrance. He had jet black hair, which was fairly unkempt, and was already wearing his school robes. He stood there for a few seconds as they exchanged an awkward stare before asking, "Do you mind if I sit here, most of the other compartments are full, and I don't think the older students would be very welcome towards a first year taking some of their space."

Helen nodded, and he moved to sit right across from her. Her parents may have left her alone with Harland, but he seemed trustworthy, especially after they found out he was the son of an Earl. Helen didn't know this boy, and to be honest, aside from her brothers, she hadn't much experience talking to boys in general. Nodding inwardly, she told herself that she was in a different world now. There were different rules. And as far as talking to boys went, she didn't imagine it being any more different than talking to girls. She just had to show a little more respect, that's what her mother always told her.

Extending her hand in greeting like she had seen her mother do so many time before, she expected a short kiss on her pale fingers after saying, "Helen Lyon at your service."

The boy did not do that, instead he grasped her hand like they were two men at a business meeting. "Samuel Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you...sorry, did I do something to offend you."

Helen had been slightly taken aback, but she shook her head, and simply withdrew her hand. "No...I just...nevermind. Did you say Potter? That's a funny name." Yeah, that was the moment when she decided she was starting anew. She wasn't the daughter of a Baron anymore, she was simply Helen Lyon.

"You heard right. And I'd say that Lyon is equally funny. We don't have names like that in the wizarding world, and we don't have dresses like that either." He gestured towards her outfit, and Helen couldn't help but blush.

"Oh! I suppose I should change into my robes now. Well, I'll be right back, Samuel." With that, Helen got up to grab her robes. Wearing the same thing as a man had been an amusing thought, but she got over it, even if her mother hadn't.

"And I'll be right here, Helen."


	2. Getting the Band Together

"You know, you speak much more openly than any man I've ever met."

"Well, Helen, you probably have not talked to many man - or the muggle world a whole stranger than I would have every thought."

"Truer words have never been spoken." Helen's words were followed some giggling, a response that had been occurring continuously throughout their talk on the Hogwarts express. She couldn't help it. They were having an open conversation, something Helen had rarely ever done. Here, on this train, she was actively using her brain, having a stimulating conversation. It was breathing life into her system.

"You should meet my father, he's basically the King of Quidditch, which, now that I think about it, that makes me a Prince."

Another laugh escaped her, but she still retorted, "I would say that you're anything but a Prince, Samuel."

This earned her a faux, aghast look from the boy. Just seeing him smile made her grin giddly. It was contagious, and it was causing her cheeks to hurt. "And you, Lyon, would know something about Royalty then?"

Her smile ceased. She doubted Samuel Potter would care that her father was a Baron, that he had even had several audiences with the Queen. She doubted that he would care that her brother was basically training to be the courts next legal counsel. And she doubted that he would that care that one day she was destined to marry someone equal to her father's status or of even higher status. But even with all these doubts she couldn't help but stutted out, "I...uh...nothing."

He didn't seem to catch her lack of grace in responding, and gladly continued with the gleeful talk, "Then just call me Prince Potter, has a nice ring to it don't you think?"

Helen shook her head at the nonsense, and simply listened in silence as Samuel continued on with the same talk before she randomly interrupted, "Wait - what's Quidditch?"

"Merlin, you have so much to learn!" It seemed as if he was about to go off on a long rant about whatever that funny term meant when he was cut off by the knocking on the door. Outside stood a boy and a girl, who had hopeful looks on their faces. Rather confused, Helen had no response, but Samuel gave an inviting gesture which led to the opening of the compartment door. "What can we help you with?"

The boy spoke up for the both of them it seemed, "Well, we've been looking for a compartment to sit in since the beginning of the trip. The first years we were sitting with let us join them for a bit, but they ended up being up a bit snobbish and -"

It was that point in time that Samuel cut him off, "We don't need a long explanation, just come on in and sit down. My name is Prince Potter and -"

And now it was Helen's turn to cut him off, with laughter in her voice she said, "He's joking, his name is Samuel and I'm Helen Lyon. It's a pleasure to meet you both of you."

This time, the girl spoke. She had a cheery voice, which seemed to match her light blonde hair and cheerful blue eyes. "Likewise. My name's Auriela Scamander and this is Jedediah Diggory."

"Please, just call me Jed. Jedediah is such a mouthful." Helen nodded in acknowledgement of this. She was glad her parents had strayed away from the long names that could leave a person winded after speaking. She watched as they sat down, and a awkward silence fell over the compartment for a few seconds before Jed spoke up with what seemed like an innocent question, "So what house do you guys want to be sorted into?"

Samuel immediately spoke up by saying, "Most Potters have been sorted into Gryffindor, although a few other houses have snuck in here and there. I don't think my parents would very much mind where I end up though, but personally, I do hope Gryffindor." After he spoke, all heads turned to her, and Helen just looked at them with a blank face. "Blimey, I forgot. You don't know about houses yet, do you?" All she could was shake her head. There was so much she still had to learn.

"Oh, are you a muggleborn? You'd be the first I've met on the train." This was Jed talking. The three of them all had a similar look on their faces, one of uncertainty. It wasn't directed at Helen though, it was directed at each other. "You two...aren't you know...muggle haters or anything like that?" The moment he said that, the air seemed to get twenty degrees warmer.

Samuel spoke with relief, "Oh goodness no. I thought that you might be."

Finally finding her voice, Helen couldn't help but ask, with the risk of sounding truly ignorant, "Alright, first, muggle haters exist? And second, what are these house you were initially talking about."

A female voice responded to her question, "Unfortunately, yes. But I think that's a conversation for another time. Especially if you haven't met one yet. So to answer your second question…" Auriela went on to explain the Hogwarts houses and it was all very informative. She seemed to have a very friendly nature, kind to a fault. At least, that's what Helen gathered from the couple of hours they had together.

* * *

><p>The trip went very fast with their new company. Jed was very intuitive, and clever to boot. He answered all her questions, no matter how annoying she felt. And when he began to get off topic on some piece of interesting, but rather irrelevant information, Samuel was there to interrupt with a joke and some exciting story he had. It seemed that they all fit together very nicely. Helen guessed she had gotten lucky, and she was absolutely willing to take such luck. Anything to help her in this new world.<p>

The boat right to Hogwarts had left her speechless. The way the castle lights shimmered against the water was truly magical. With its tall towers and expansive grounds, Helen couldn't help but think it had been taken right out of some children's fairy tale book. Helen and the three others she had shared a compartment with all shared a boat.

She probably should've guessed that Samuel would spend the ride rocking the boat, threatening to tip them over into the cold, dark waters of the lake. Occasionally, Helen thought she could movement from beneath the surface of the water. Later, she was kindly informed by Jed that it was probably the giant squid, or even some merpeople. The concept of merpeople had left her giddy, but she was quickly informed that her idea of mermaids and mermen were entirely wrong.

If she had thought the view of the castle was truly magnificent, the Great Hall came in a close second. There were floating castles that lit the room with a soft glow. Four long times occupied the hall vertically, and at the front of the room was a table placed on the horizontal. On each of the tables were goblets and glistening plates. While she had yet to been to a formal dinner or ball, Helen imagined that this is what the dining area would look like.

From the large windows that lined the hall she could see the stars and the moon, adding to the magical effect of the whole night. Walking down a vertical straight, Helen couldn't help but duck her head slightly as all the older students looked at them. That was when Auriela nudged her in the side and whispered, "Don't worry, they've all been where we are before. And some are muggleborns, just like you." Helen smiled in gratitude, before lifting her head once more.

When she did this, she suddenly realized that there weren't that many first years. In fact, maybe forty at most. Speaking to the people around her in general, she couldn't help but state this observation aloud. It was Jed to who responded, "That's the usual amount I've been told. If they're lucky it usually ends up with ten to each house. Of course, that can't always happen." It seemed like he was going to continue on with an explanation, but was cut off by a woman standing up at the front of the room. By her side was a crooked stool and a worn hat.

"Good Evening, my name is Professor Lydia Fulton, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to Hogwarts. Tonight you will be sorted into one of four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. They will be your family for the remainder of your stay at Hogwarts. Once you are sorted, the other students and of course, your Prefects, will explain the point system we have here." She took a moment to catch her breath after spouting out all that information. "When I call your name, please sit here," she gestured to the stool, "and I will place the Sorting hat on your head."

That greatly confused Helen, but she decided to hold back a question and simply watch. Professor Fulton called out the first name, "Gideon Black." She heard a few snorts amongst the crowd, but she didn't think much into it. Helen watched as a bow with jet black hair, fashioned to a clean cut, made his way up to the front. He sat down with great poise, and when he did so, Professor Fulton placed the worn hat on his head. And to her amaze, it began to talk.

She attempted to smother the gasp that left her mouth, and from the corner of her eye she saw Samuel holding back a laugh. The hat seemed to be having an internal battle, but after a few moments he finally called out, "Slytherin!"

Samuel leaned over and whispered, "Slytherins aren't known for being the nicest bunch, and the Black family is known for being particularly callous."

Finding such talk rather rude, she whispered back, "I would have never guessed you knew what callous meant." Samuel gave her a little shove, and they went back to being quiet. A few names were called off, and by the seventh person, someone had been sorted into every house. When Jedediah's name was said, she whispered good luck and watched as the boy moved forward.

The front of the hat covered his face so that you couldn't see his brown eyes nor how nervous they had previously looked. Within a matter of seconds though, the hat called out Ravenclaw, and Jedediah Diggory bounced off the stool with glee. More names were listed off alphabetically, and Helen gave a deep sigh when she knew her name was to be called next. Both Auriela and Samuel gave her words of encouragement, but she barely heard them. All she heard was Professor Fulton call out, "Helen Lyon."

Helen turned to looked at Samuel and Auriela with a bit of desperation. "We'll still be friends no matter what houses we're sorted into, right?"

"Of course!" They responded in unison, and with such conviction, that Helen had very little reason to doubt them. It was a childish question, but she was only eleven, so she supposed it was alright.

Professor Fulton looked down at the group of first years, and it looked like she had a twitch of annoyance for Helen taking this long. Rushing up to the stool, she waited with a bit of a quake for the hat to be placed on her head. Then suddenly a deep voice, tinged with years of wisdom, began to speak. "Oh, I see. A wise mind that's been hidden from the world. But taken so gracefully, with a kind heart. Loyal to those closest to you, but oh, such a yearning to discover. Sharp and attentive, I know exactly where you belong...Ravenclaw!"

A sigh escaped her lips as the hat was removed her head. With a smile, she strode over over to the table of applauding Ravenclaws. Sitting down next to Jedediah, she exchanged words of excitement with both him and those around her. That continued until a hush fell over the hall when the next name was announced. It continued like that for the rest of the night. Samuel was sorted into Gryffindor just like he had wanted, and Auriela was placed into Hufflepuff.

For the most part all their attention was focused on their new housemates, but at one point during the night, all four of them managed to exchange glances with smiles and a look that said this was start of a big adventure.

* * *

><p>"Can you believe we're here? Because I really can't believe it."<p>

Jed looked at her with a smile. He liked to smile a lot. "Well I can. I've known since I was about three. But I suppose the moment is a whole lot more special for you, which is understandable."

Helen sighed, stretching across the couch in the Ravenclaw common room. "Do you think we should go to bed yet? We do have class tomorrow, and I'd hate to oversleep."

"You make a good point, but maybe a few more minutes. We're friends Helen, you better believe it. And its been less than a day. But I barely know anything about you. A lot of the names here are from pureblood families, I've been having playing dates with them since before I was born. But you're a mystery, and as a Ravenclaw, I don't like knowing things."

Helen looked to him in curiosity. His voice was lighthearted, but there was a lot of truth to it. "Was there a question in there somewhere, Jed?"

"Well, what was your life back in the muggle world?"

She saw that question coming from a mile away after what he had previously said. Helen didn't like lying, it meant she was contributing to the lack of knowledge in the world. She was purposefully making people stupid. But for some reason, she said, "It was simple. Nothing much to it. I have a mother, father, two brothers, and sister. We all get along well, and that's that."

"You really know how to make yourself incredibly boring, Helen."

"Well, I excel in all things I do.

That got a laugh from the fellow Ravenclaw. In an effort to move things to a different topic, she asked innocently, "Samuel mentioned something about Quidditch on the train, what's that?"

"Oh wow, it's critical you learn what Quidditch is before you go on another minute in the wizarding world."

"Get to the point, Jed."

"Whatever you say your Highness."

* * *

><p>"Get off me!"<p>

"You have to ask, Potter? Can't fight?"

In the middle of the Hogwarts courtyard, a group of children surround two boys who were currently wrestling like there was no tomorrow. Gravel was flying in their air, and their green and scarlet robes were but a blur to those watching.

It was a few moments later when Helen and Jed came walking by after the end of Charms to see the commotion. It was Helen who expressed the question on both their minds, "What the…?"

They ran over, and towards the edge of the crowd they found Auriela. Placing a hand on her shoulder she asked in a rushed manner, "What's happening."

"Oh thank Merlin you're here! It's Samuel and that Black boy. They're going at it. I don't even know what started at it. I turned away for a few seconds and they're on the ground fighting."

About halfway through her explanation, both Jed and Helen began to push their way through to the center. Seeing both Samuel and Gideon on the ground was rather pitiful. Helena had never seen anything so un-gentleman like. It was like they were five and playing war in the comfort of their own homes.

Her parents, of course, never felt a need for her or Sarah to attend school. They had private tutors to educate them in the ways in the world, so she had no knowledge if this was common at schools. Still, it only took one glance between her and Jed to interfere in this whole conflict. Jedidiah pulled Gideon off of Samuel, and Helen pulled the silly Gryffindor as far as she could from the whole thing.

It was very un-ladylike to get involved in such things, but her mother wasn't there to lecture her.

Samuel had a cut across his cheek, and it looked like he'd be getting a black eye. Clicking her tongue, she looked over at Jed who was attempting to calm the Slytherin. "What did you get yourself into, Samuel?"

"Oh just the usual, Helen."

"It's only the first day of school!"

"Well, I like to start things off with a blast."

Shaking her head, she helped pull the messy-haired boy up from the ground. "Come on, I'm taking you the Hospital Wing. And behave, because I'm going to tell Jed to take Gideon as well."

"I didn't do that much damage to him...and him to I."

"Be quiet." Her voice was stern and she left no room for argument. Walking over to talk to Jed, she nodded a curt greeting towards Gideon before speaking to both the Ravenclaw and the Slytherin. "You should help him up to the Hospital Wing. They both need to be looked at."

"That doesn't seem necessary -"

"They're going."

Without another word, she turned on her heels and headed back to Samuel who was currently being looked over by Auriela. Prompting the Hufflepuff to help get Samuel up to the Wing, she followed behind the two as they walked. When they started to ascend the stairs, she fell even further behind and waited until Jedidiah and Gideon were in her line of sight.

Unable to help but glare at the two of them (which had Jedidiah looking utterly confused) she asked in a curt voice, "What caused this?" The question was obviously directed at Gideon, who dipped his head slightly, making the cut along his forehead apparent to her.

"Tell me what happened, or so help me God I'll beat it out of you."

Both the boys looked taken aback by her words, but it got Gideon to start stammering out some pitiful story that made Helen wonder why men existed. "You're telling me that Samuel made a joke about your name, you retorted with a jibe about his hair, and then you started to fight?" She received a slight nod as the only response. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she pointed to Gideon, then to Jed, and then upwards in the direction of Samuel. "I am not dealing with seven years of childish behavior. At least not with childish behavior that always end up in the Hospital Wing."

Tapping her foot for a few moments, she finally decided to really take the reins on this whole situation. Grabbing Gideon by the collar - who let out a yelp of surprise - she began to walk him up the stairs towards the Hospital Wing. It took a few minutes between the questions, complaining, and simple lack of physical energy, but they finally made it.

Pushing open the doors, Helen made a beeline to Samuel who was sitting on the edge of a bed. He tried to stand up when he saw her and Gideon heading in his direction, but Auriela thankfully kept him down. Standing in front him she said, "Alright, Potter. You're going to apologize for making fun of Gideon's name." Turning slightly, she said pointedly, "And Black, you're going to apologize for making fun of Samuel's unruly hair."

Protests erupted from both the boys, and she cut them short. "I do not want to hear it. You're going to apologize, and then you know what? You're going to be friends." This brought confusion, as she expected. "You're both obviously pig-headed, and I'm sure you can bond over tormenting other first years, though I would highly frown upon such activities."

Still more protests.

"I don't think you understand. I'm not letting you two out of my sight until you make amends. I don't care one bit about any house rivalry, or family feuds. You two certainly do not embody the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses as a whole, and you're certainly not dictated to act the way your families have in the past."

This got them to stay quiet for a few moments, and when someone finally did speak, it was Samuel muttering out an apology and Gideon extending his hand for a shake. Nodding in approval, she took a step back and gave a sheepish smile to Mister Frederickson who was staring at the five of them with a humorous smile. "You can look over your patients now…" Her voice trailed off, unable to complete the remark.

"It's alright, Miss. It seems like you've probably saved me from seeing these two for quite a while."

It was Auriela who spoke, laughing, "I don't know about that, Mister Frederickson. I think they'll be able to find ways to injure themselves, even if it's not by each other's hands." That got them all chuckling quite a bit.

Moving away to let the wizard do his think, she jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking to see Jed by her head she smiled, "Thanks for helping with Gideon."

"It was my pleasure," He paused for a moment, looking at her, "What you did was really amazing. You certainly have a presence. An air of command and leadership if I do say so. You sure you had a normal life back home? Because I'd place a few galleons saying you didn't."

"And I'd say you'd be a couple galleons richer." Helen said no more about the subject, and Jedidiah respected that decision.

Instead, the two of them joined the conversation with Samuel, Gideon, and Auriela. And from that point on, the five of them could hardly ever be separated.

At least for the time-being.


	3. Trouble in Paradise

**_The Second Year_**

"I cannot believe Professor Fulton assigned us all this homework! You know me, Auriela, I love learning and whatnot just as much as the next Ravenclaw but this is ridiculous." Helen let out a long groan before slamming her head down on the textbooks splayed in front of her. "I love Charms too…" Her protests eventually trailed off, but the silence was quickly replaced by the complaints Auriela had.

"Just wait until you have Professor Binns tomorrow, it'll kill you. I'm serious, I think my pulse is getting as low as his. I swear, he'll kill himself just hearing his own voice." Their laughs echoed in the silent library, which earned them a lovely glare from the librarian. Ducking their heads in mock shame, they waited until a few moments had passed to make faces at the poor blokes back.

A few minutes passed before Auriela looked around hesitantly before leaning forward and asking, "Didn't you hear that?"

Popping her head up from the book she had been reading, Helen looked around, shook her head, and asked, "What?"

"My stomach growling!" Auriela rolled up the piece of parchment she had been writing on, and closed her inkwell, making it obvious she had every intention of leaving. "I can't believe you convinced me to get up well before breakfast to do work of all things. Well, I'm hungry now, so I'm going to get food - and you're coming too."

Auriela had that stern, motherly voice that said she wasn't taking no for an answer. So, rather reluctantly, Helen packed up things and threw her bag over her shoulder. "Alright, let's go."

"Took you long enough."

Shoving her friend in a gentle manner, the two giggled well after they had left the library, impervious to the librarian's comments and harsh stare. Climbing down the stairs, the two girls walked as if they owned the place. The moving flights no longer made them jump in panic, and they carried on conversations with the portraits as if it was an everyday occurrence - which it was.

Once they reached the Great Hall, the two exchanged a partial hug before going off to their respective tables. Popping down next to Jedediah, she said gleefully, "Morning."

He had just taken a bite of toast, so she got to watch humorously as he attempted to swallow his food and reply with a greeting. "Morning, Helen. Where were you?"

Fixing herself a nice plate with what was around her, she answered plainly, "In the library with Auriela." Jed snorted, which earned a sideways glance from Helen. "What?"

Shrugging, he replied, "Nothing, it's just that you make Helena Ravenclaw look like a slacker sometimes. Maybe it's because she had the 'a' at the end of her name, it slowed her down."

"Oh hush you." The morning conversation went on in a similar fashion until they were interrupted by the loud sound of owls swooping in. "Mail's here."

"Wonderful observation, Helen."

She gave him a pointed look before shifting her attention to the clutter of owls. She loved trying to spot her tawny owl, Gavin, before he found her. Helen found that she usually lost, and on the days she did beat him to it, she swore that he let her win. Owls were very intelligent she found, far more intelligent than muggles gave them credit for.

Her eyes continued to scan the hall, and right when she thought she had found him, a bundle of mail had landed in front of her. Her eyes crinkled with amusement as the owl flew away, proud of his success to outwit his owner once more. Pulling apart the twine, Helen stuffed the Daily Prophet inside her bag so that she could read it later. Even now, after more than a year in the wizarding world, she had so much to learn and the Ravenclaw found that the newspaper helped her keep on top of things.

There was no letter from her family today, which was to be expected. She had only sent one to them a day ago. It'd be unrealistic to expect a response so quickly. Helen did however find a red envelope in today's bundle of things. Curious, she opened the letter without another thought. Only a few seconds too late was Jed's exclamation telling her to wait.

The envelope bursted open, and the opening formed sharp paper teeth, like they purposed for killing. Death by paper cuts, that sounded like a horrible way to die, Helen couldn't help but thinking. Her mind was quickly averted from the thought by a deep, threatening, and even mocking voice being produced from the envelope.

**_"Helen the Hag. You taint the school with your presence. You were accepted to Hogwarts by mistake. You don't belong here. Do everyone a favor by leaving. Find somewhere else to accept you, filthy mudblood."_**

By the time it finished, the hall was in complete silence. Helen sat there stunned, perhaps only partially aware about what happened. The enveloped had proceeded to rip itself up, but she had barely taken notice of that.

Helen always liked to think of herself as strong and unwavering. She didn't like crying. She had always hated when her brothers managed to push her over the edge, especially when it front of their father. And Helen would hate more than anything to start to cry in front of the whole school. But it had caught her off guard, it was so unexpected. She didn't believe she had done anything to deserve such hatred. She had went an entire year without any conflict from 'muggle haters' as Jedediah and Auriela had so plainly put it on the Hogwarts Express, the first time they had met.

She was taken so aback that it took her a while to realize that Jed was saying her name over and over, trying to get her attention. "Uh...sorry...did you say something?"

"Are you okay, Helen?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Completely, entirely fine."

A few moments later, she realized that Samuel, Auriela, and Gideon had made their way over to her and it looked like a staff member was making their way down from the head table too. She was grateful that her friends had left their tables to comfort her, but their presence was almost unnoticeable to her at the moment. Everyone felt like ghosts, there, but only barely. She was almost uncertain about her own physical composition at the moment too.

Standing up from the table, she knew that her friends were talking to her, but she moved right past them. Walking out with her shoulders head high, she set her mind on the doorway. She just had to get outside. She was completely oblivious to the few snickers coming from a few people, and the outright laughter from a few others. She wasn't going to let anything think this got to her.

Looking entirely dignified the whole time, Helen exited the Great Hall, made a beeline to the Grounds, and broke into a sprint. Tears began roll down her face, and she felt sobs erupting from her chest. Finding herself a nice tree to cozy up to, Helen tucked her head into her knees, and cried until it was time for her first class.

* * *

><p>By the time her first class had ended, Helen felt awful that she had acted in such an unbecoming manner. Those words meant nothing to her. No physical harm had occurred, and she was a Ravenclaw, her mental state should not have been affected so easily. And so despite the whispers and stares throughout History of Magic, of which, Professor Binns was more than happy to ignore as he continued on with his awfully boring lecture, Helen was ready to seize the day.<p>

As she was walking through the halls, en route to Potions, she smiled to see both Samuel and Gideon running over to her. "I'm fine, don't get your knickers in a bundle."

They apparently did not give much care to her words. It was Samuel who spoke first, "Jed told us that the moment he saw it was a Howler he tried to warn you but it was too late."

"A Howler? So that's what it's called, interesting."

"Professor Fulton said she was willing to look into it, if you'd like. It'd be easy enough to track who did it with the right spells." This was Gideon speaking now.

Glancing at both of them she said humorously, "You two have a nice act going on here. Truly, you should charge people to hear you guys talk." The boys nearly blanched at her words. "Lighten up, I'm fine. I don't want an investigation of any sorts. It'd just bring more attention to the whole. It was just a few bored students having some fun."

Still unconvinced, the boys put off the subject for the time being. Once they all got the Entrance Hall, Samuel split to attend whatever class he had. Gideon was able to walk her to potions though, as it was one of two classes they were lucky enough to share. Descending into the dungeons, the two carried on with a lighthearted debate about Slytherin and Ravenclaw's next Quidditch match when Gideon suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Gideon...are you alright?"

His eyes were focused on the wall behind her. Turning around, on the damp, dimly lit dungeon wall was the letter 'H' painted in red, and right after it was an 'E'. Walking down the hallway, her eyes reading each largely painted letter, she simply froze when she got to the end. "Helen the Hag." Her voice was but a mere whisper, but everything in the dungeons sounded ten times louder.

She jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder, only to realize it was Gideon. "Helen, you should go. I'll tell Professor Yates what happened, he'll understand. This is ridiculous. It's not only unprovoked harassment, but school vandalism as well. They'll look into it, no matter what you want."

Shaking her head, she stated firmly, her voice coming back, "No. I will not let this bother me. I am not a hag, I'm only twelve. And they should do more research on the words they use, rather than just going for alliteration." Gideon looked at her, his eyes forming the question he need not ask. "Hag isn't just another term for the mental old lady in your town, it's another word for a witch. They're holding resentment towards me because my parents are muggles, and here they are, verifying in big red letters what they wish to deny."

Gideon's mouth opened slightly, as if he was going to say something, but then he simply smiled. Walking into the classroom together, he did add, "You are wise beyond your years, Helen Lyon."

"Beech wood."

"What?"

"Nothing."

* * *

><p>"Gideon, come over here for a moment."<p>

Peering over the top of his book, Gideon looked for who had spoken. The Slytherin Common Room was fairly empty so it didn't take long to spot a small gaggle of students sitting around a table in the corner. Raising an eyebrow, he waited for an explanation, which earned him several exasperated sighs. "Just come here, we'll tell you why in a moment."

"I think the word you're looking for, Cyrus, is 'please'." Gideon did not take to being summoned in manner of sorts kindly. And as he was not entirely close to these particular housemates, such words would've been frowned up in any other house. But this was Slytherin, and such actions were at the very least respected. Gideon's retort was an equally acceptable response.

Waiting patiently, he gave a coy smile when he heard his cousin mutter, "Please." Placing his book on the chair, Gideon walked over to the table and greeted the four students who sat there.

"What can I help you with?"

"Well that depends." That was Rosier speaking. This whole table was filled the children of powerful families. He took note of a Flint, a Carrow, and of course, the fellow Black.

"Cut it with the cryptic act, I don't have time for that."

"Right, we interrupted that important meeting you had with that book."

"I was exercising my right to learn, which cannot be said about a lot of my fellow Snakes."

Their bickering was cut short by Carrow. Her voice ringed loudly, so it was unmistakable to hear the words she said, "We want to see where your loyalties lie." Keeping a straight face, he stared at them with a blank expression, waiting to hear what she had to say next. "You have an awful lot of friends outside of the house, one in particular being that wretch from Ravenclaw."

Placing a hand on the desk he said very simply, "So? Tell me something I don't know. What do you want, exactly?"

It was Flint who spoke next, "We want your help." Gideon gestured with his hand to continue forward. "We're going to show that mudblood where she belongs, and we presume you would know the details to her schedule."

"Of course."

"And?"

"Well I'd like to know what you plan on doing first. I will only contribute to something that isn't completely tacky, like the writing on the wall. Did you consult with your primary school tutors before coming up with that one?"

This comment produced a glare, a sneer, and two wary looks. It seemed his cousin of all people was willing to trust him. "We're going to bombard her with a few nasty spells, hopefully at a time when she's walking back to her common room alone. Which is where you come in."

Nodding slowly, he admitted, "That's decent, I suppose." Pausing for a moment, he conceded, "I'll tell you."

It was back to Rosier, who argued, "Wait, we're forgetting that he's friends with her, how can we trust him. He's almost as bad as she."

Shrugging as if it truly didn't matter, Gideon pointed out, "You called me over here. You need me, not the other way around." That seemed to garner no extra support. "I'm friends with people from the other pathetic houses for the sake of Slytherin. If everyone thought we were all heartless snakes, we'd never get anything done. I'm the reason you guys can walk around without people booing."

That seemed to get to their attention. "Fine." It seemed Flint seemed to accept his reasoning.

Glaring he said, "I'm glad to have your approval." With that being said, he sat down at the table and began to write down what he knew of Helen's schedule. And being as close they all were to each other, there wasn't much he didn't know.

* * *

><p>The echo of footsteps was barely audible of the high-pitched chattering of two girls. "Alright, Ivy, I'll see you later. One day you'll have to show me the Hufflepuff common room."<p>

This garnered more laughter, bouncing against the walls of the castle. "You may continue to think that if it pleases you, Helen." Those seemed to be the parting words, as the two girls finally went their separate ways. Ivy Carter was a lovely girl, a fellow muggleborn in fact. She had been someone she bonded to in her transfigurations class as it was the only class where she didn't have Samuel, Gideon, Auriela, or Jedediah as a classmate.

Climbing the countless flights of stairs to reach the Ravenclaw tower, Helen took a deep breath when she finally reached the the hallway that led to the tower. Walking down the straight, she stopped a few times to chat with a few portraits. They were giddy as usual, though a few complained about an extensive amount of noise from the top of the hallway. Helen promised to talk to her housemates. Her fellow Ravenclaws occasionally poke fun at all the time she took talking to the portraits, but a lot happened in the hallways, and she got all the gossip from them.

Giving her departing remarks, Helen continued to walk down the hallway. Right when she was about to take the last flight of stairs before she heard today's riddle to get into the common room, there was a sudden flash. A loud explosion echoed in her ears. A vase came crashing to the ground. A few portraits were rocked off the wall. And Helen went falling backwards off the first step of the stone stairs.

As she was falling, she saw a confusing seen play out before her eyes. She also saw a blur of a face that looked a lot like Gideon Black. Then her head hit the stone and blackness came.

* * *

><p>An odd gurgling noise was being produced from Helen's mouth when she first awoke. Spitting in a bowl that placed on her bed stand, she wiped her mouth with disgust. After that was done with, she was able to get a hold on her surrounding. Samuel and Jedediah were in deep conversation by the foot of her bed, and Auriela was a few metres off speaking with Mister Frederickson. Gideon was nowhere to be seen.<p>

That was all she really remembered. Of all things. Gideon's face.

"You're awake!" That was Auriela, her cheerful voice, loud and prominent in the empty Hospital Wing. Her exclamation caused both Samuel and Jedediah too look at her, their faces a mix of concern and relief.

"Why yes, I am."

"How're you feeling?"

Looking to Jed, Helen smiled and answered, "I could be a lot worse."

Mister Frederickson felt that her statement was his cue to pop on in, "That you could be." Pausing for a moment to place a bottle of medicine he'd been holding down, he walked to her bedside and continued, "You really only sustained a minor head injury, which was what knocked you out. Stone floors will do that to you."

Titling her slightly sideways, flinching as she did so, she asked, "That's it?"

"That's it. When you were brought in, I noticed your shoes were slightly charred. I suspect that a spell had missed its target, and from what your friends have been talking about, quite a few spells in fact." That sounded like Mister Frederickson was giving her peers permission to take over the conversation.

Smiling, although a tad grimly, she looked to her friends, and queried, "What do you have for me then?"

Both Samuel and Jedediah jumped on the subject, their words coming at her like a hail of bullets. "One at a time, boys, one at at time."

Looking to each other sheepishly, Samuel gave way for Jed to explain first. "I was the first one to find you. I was in the common room and heard the noise. When I ran down, I saw you on the ground first, which was…" He paused for a split second, an uncomfortable expression dashing over his face before continuing, "...and then I saw a gaggle of Slytherins arguing off to the side. Amongst them was Gideon. I obviously checked on you first, and right when I was about to confront them, Professor Fulton arrived screaming bloody murder at them. It was quite a sight."

It was then Samuel's turn to talk, "After you were taken here, we tried to figure out what happened. We couldn't believe that Gideon had any role in it, but I got a first year snake to tell me that he had a long conversation with that Rosier and that lot the night before.

"I really don't believe Gideon could have had anything to do with it. He was so comforting to me, and seemed truly appalled about the writing on the walls and the Howler."

"But he did, Helen. That's where all the evidence points to. You could've been seriously hurt. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already been suspended or expelled. Professor Fulton probably had him Floo back to his estate, where the entire Black clan was waiting to congratulate him. His friendship was an act."

This brought silence from everyone.

Unable to help herself though, Helen mumbled, "I still don't…" But the looks from her friends told her she better hold her tongue for now.

* * *

><p>The lot of them had to eventually go get dinner at Helen's insistence despite their complaints. Unsurprisingly enough, they were back within the hour. "I'll be fine, guys. Go back to your Houses. Mister Frederickson said I'd be able to leave by tomorrow."<p>

"I did in fact say that!" A voice called out from the back office.

"Helen, we're going to stay here the whole night - "

"I'm afraid not, Ms. Scamander. Visitor hours end in...well an hour." The same voice from the back.

"See, might as well head back now."

"Bollocks, we'll stay here for as long as we can."

"Language Potter, and that is perfectly acceptable." It seemed that was all Mister Frederickson had to say as he eavesdropped from his desk.

"I bet he has a spell setup so he can hear everything that goes on." This was Jed with another one of his conspiracy theories concerning what the staff does with magic. There was no response from Mister Frederickson, but Helen could have sworn she heard chuckling.

The four them talked for a good while, about the school's reaction to what had happened and how Violet Abberton and Carson Morvell's one week relationship had come to a dramatic end in the Great Hall.

Their talk was interrupted, however, by the sound of the Hospital Wing doors swinging open. Walking in slowly was Gideon Black. The mere sight of him had Samuel sprinting at him in fury.

He was too quick for Jedediah to grab him back by his robes, and both Helen and Auriela's cries of warning went unheard. Before they knew it, Samuel was pinning Gideon against the wall, and Gideon was putting up absolutely no protest.

Helen had swung her legs over the edge of her bed, Auriela was attempting to get her to stay put, and Jedediah was moving to try and calm Samuel. It was quite a party. Where was Mister Frederickson and his omnipotent hearing now.

"What in the world…!?"

Ah, there it was.

"How could you do that to Helen? How could you betray all of us. I thought you were different from the other Blacks, from the rest of Slytherin. I ignored what my family had told me, and gave you a chance. And I thought I had one right."

All he received was silence.

"Why won't you say anything? Don't you have anything to say for yourself? Helen could have died because of you and your rotten friends."

A voice finally spoke, although it wasn't Gideon. "Mr. Potter, may I request that you let go of Mr. Black and that you also stop being quite so dramatic. We have a story for you that make calm your nerves."

"I'd rather hear the truth."

"Yes, we have that too."

Releasing Gideon, Samuel looked over his shoulder and up at Professor Fulton who stared down at him with her brilliant blue eyes. "Let's go talk where Ms. Lyon can hear us, yes?"

He nodded slowly, and began to walk back to Helen's bedside, but not before shooting another glare at Gideon.

"Ms. Lyon, may I presume that you've been wondering what happened."

"That'd be correct, Professor."

"Well, I think I'll let your friend Mr. Black explain, although I would like to preface his tale by saying that it all truth."

Helen nodded in acknowledgement.

And for the first time after entering the Hospital Wing, Gideon spoke. "First, I'm sorry that you were hurt. That wasn't the plan." Samuel looked like he was about to interrupt but a quick wave of the wand of Professor Fulton's part had him silenced in a heartbeat. Samuel Potter unable to talk. That was quite the sight.

"What was the plan then, Gideon?" Helen asked curiously. She really wasn't angry at Gideon, she had faith in him all along.

"I had nothing to do with the Howler, or the writing on the wall. I only learned that Rosier, Flint, Carrow, and my cousin Cyrus were behind it the other night." It looked like Samuel had more words that he wanted to hand, but the force of magic was much strong than his vocal cords. Jed placed a hand on his shoulder as comfort.

"They asked me for help, on figuring out your schedule. And I agreed. I gave no sign that I actually thought of you as a friend, and they trusted me. So they planned to bombard you with spells, get you sent to St. Mungo's. Something so serious that you'd want to go home." He paused there for a moment, to let the words sink in.

The only response Helen had was, "Why?"

"Because they're elitist purebloods. They believe only a certain few deserve to be taught magic, and you were outdoing them in all their classes, so they got a little hateful." It came out so simply, so nonchalantly, as if was an everyday thing. It almost sounded like her father or brother, explaining to her why she couldn't be friends with the maid's daughter. At least not in public. She understood. She understood perfectly.

Gideon took her silence as reason to continue. "I meant to sabotage them. I alerted Professor Fulton of their plan, and then begged for her to let it play out. Catch them in the act. When it came down to the event, I meant to counteract all their spells with some of my own. Either negate them or knock them off target. It worked for the most part, except one grazed your feet, which caused you to fall. I really am sorry about that."

Helen shook her head, claiming that it was alright. She simply gestured for him to continue, she could sense there was more to the story. "I was selfish in wanting to let this play out. Of course I wanted them to be dealt a serious punishment, rather than a few detentions, but I also didn't want them to know I had ratted them out. This way, they would never I had purposefully cast my spells off aim, they couldn't even tell they were mine."

This got Samuel really riled up, and Jedediah had to hold him back from Gideon once more. Auriela looked rather confused, although she didn't seem angry, and that was good. Though she did question, "So what has happened to them?"

And Gideon answered with a slightly smug smile, "They've been suspended for the rest of the year. They'll have to repeat second year if they want to come back. And they think I've been suspended too. Now my family won't think I've betrayed them and I won't be scorched off the family tree." This earned him a few blank stares, but he answered with, "Another story for another time."

Jedediah then brought up a reasonable point, "Won't they wonder why you're a third year when they come back next year?"

"Private tutors. It'll be more in depth than that but I'll figure it out. Don't worry." He paused for a moment, but then looking right to Helen he asked, "Do you forgive me?"

"I never doubted you."

He donned a wary smile before asking, "And the rest of you?"

That was Professor Fulton's cue to end the silencing spell, which she did so promptly. Samuel didn't waste any time in spitting out, "No."

But both Auriela and Jedediah nodded their heads hesitantly, offering individual words of confirmation.

So Gideon looked to Samuel, and Samuel looked at Gideon, and they just stared at each other not speaking. It was odd, and Helen wasn't really sure what to make of it. Then, without any sort of indication, they shook hands. It wasn't very warm, but it seemed to be cordial at the least. "I'm assuming it'll take a while for all the trust to return?"

"You'd assume right, Helen." That was Samuel, and she simply shook her head.

"Honestly, my life would just be too dull without you all."

"True words, Ms. Lyon. Such true words." It was not Samuel, Auriela, Gideon, or Jedediah who said this. It wasn't even Professor Fulton. It was the voice Mister Frederickson, from his back room. She hadn't even realized he had retreated there, but his comment got them laughing together, and that was all she was grateful for.

It was Auriela who decided to pose another question, "Professor Fulton, I'm surprised you decided to go along with Gideon's plan. It seemed like a rather hazardous risk for you to take."

"Yes, well, Ms. Scamander, there are quite a few reasons, and you'll have to ask me about them over tea one day after you graduate. Until then, let's just keep this to ourselves." The Head of Hufflepuff and Transfigurations Professor really didn't leave much room for argument, especially considering she left immediately after that. It didn't really matter though, her secret was safe with them.

The room fell to an odd silence after that, but it wasn't a terrible one. Helen was content to let her friends sulk and mull over what had happened for a bit - just as long they were back to their old selves by tomorrow.


End file.
